Reclining chair



e. CHANDLER RECLINING CHAIR Filed Jan. 11, 1952 2 SheetsSheet 2 Cil Patented Oct. 1, 1935 PATENT OFFICE RECLINING CHAIR George E. Chandler, Gardner, Mass, assignor to Heywood-WakefieldCompany; Boston, Mass a corporation of Massachusetts I Application January'll, 1932, Serial No.585,879

3 Claims. (01. -116) This invention relates to adjustable reclining chairs and more especially to chairs of the. type having backs which can be adjusted to Ivarious angles and seats which can be moved forwardly and rearwardly and at the same time angularly adjusted. While the invention is capable of being 7 embodied in chairsof'various kinds, it .is more particularly described and illustrated herein as embodied-in a chair for railway coaches, busses, and other similar vehicles. According to the invention, a chair is provided with a seat which can be moved forwardly and rearwardly, means being included for automatically tilting the seat of the chair rearwardly when the seat is moved forward. Control apparatus is mounted in the arm of the chair, this apparatusrbeing actuable to adjust the angle of the chair'back and at the same time to move the seat forwardly or rearwardly a corresponding amount. For a more complete understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the description thereof and to the drawings, of which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a double chair adapted to be mounted on a suitable pedestal in a vehicle.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the chair shown 5-5 of Figure 3.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the invention may be embodied in a double seated chair mounted to rotate on a suitable pedestal II). The chair may consist of a flat base II of suitable frame-work on which are movably mounted a pair of seats I2 and corresponding backs I3. Each seat may consist of a flat bottom piece I4 supporting a suitable set of springs I5 which in turn carry an upholstered cushion member IS. A pair of chair arms I! are mounted along the side edges of the base I I. The seats I2, according to the invention, are independently movable forwardly and rearwardly on the base II. Mechanism is provided whereby forward movement of the seat members I2 automatically results in the rearward tilting of such members when moved forwardly. In Figure 1, the nearer seat is in its. rearward position, the further seat being shown in its forward position with the forward portion raised to tilt the seat rearwardly. To facilitate this movement of the 'ment of the seat member with its consequent rearseat members, each bottom member I4 is provided with a pair of rail members 20 on the under face of the member near its rear edge, and a pair of rail members 2 I on its under face near the forward edge.fThese rails may be grooved as shown at 5 23 in Figure 5 to receive rollers with peripheries bevelled as at 24. A pair of rollers 25 may be mountedby suitable brackets on the base I I to run in the rails 20 and to support thejrear portion of e a seat member. 'A pair of' rollers 26 may be 10 mounted by suitable brackets on the forward por tion of the base I I to roll in the grooves of the rail members 2I and to supportthe forward portion of the seat. The rollers 25 and 26 may conveniently be mounted in openings in the frame or base I I 15 to economize space. Therail members 2| are preferably triangular in shape so that the fall I grooves in which the rollers 26 run make a considerable angle with the bottom face of the base I I. Hence when the seat is moved forwardly, .the 20 inclined rail grooves on the rail members 2| cause the elevation of the forward portion of the seat and the consequent rearward tilting of the seat as a whole. The purpose of the forward move 25 ward tilt is to adjust the angle of the seat automatically to a more comfortable position corresponding to a backward tilt of the chair back, the additional rearward tilt of the seat helping to counteract the tendency on the part of the body of the occupant to slide forward when resting against a rearwardly inclined chairback. Hence, common operating means is provided for adjusting the angle of the chair back and for moving the chair seat. The chair backs I3 arerockable on the axis of a pair of coaxial horizontal shafts 3| which are supported on the base I I above therear portion thereof. As shown in Figure 4, suitable bearing members 32 may be mounted on the base II, the shafts 3| being rockable therein. For the 40 angular adjustment of the chair backs i3, suit-. able lever arms 33 are provided, these arms rising. upwardly from the shafts III and being secured to the sides of each chair back. These arms are fixed on the shafts 3| and are rockable therewith 45 about their axis. An operating lever 35 is mounted on each shaft 3 I' and projects forwardly therefrom inside the corresponding arm ll of the chair. This operating lever 35 carries a suitable nut 36 swiveled in the forward end thereof, this nut 50 being in threaded engagement with a threaded shaft 31 which maybe rotated through suitable gearing 38- by a convenient crank handle. 39 mounted within the arm of the chair and exposed at the inner face of the'chair arm for convenient 56 manipulation. Operation of the crank handle 39 in either arm of the double chair shown in Figure 1 swings the corresponding chair back and its shaft ll about the axis of the shaft to adiust the angle of the back.

Fixed to each shaft ii are one or more down- 7 wardly projecting lever arms 40. These arms, as

shown in Figure 4, consist of a pair of parallel laws with a pin ll supported adjacent to the lower ends thereof. A connecting member 42 is secured to the rear portion of the chair bottom M in line with each lever arm 40, each connecting member 42 having a forked end portion 43 projecting upwardly and provided with a terminal slot 44 in which is received thepin ll of the corresponding lever to. It is evident from Figures 2 and 3 that when the lever arms are rocked about the axis of the shaftjl, the pin and slotconnection between the arms ll and the corresponding connecting members 42 cause the seat to move forwardly or rearwardly according to thefdirection of the swing of the arms 40.

As the seat moves forwardly, the rail members 2| ride on the rollers 26 and elevate the forward portion of the seat, this movement being simultaneouswith a rearward swing of the seat back 30. By the use of such or 7 equivalent connecting means, the removal of the seats from the base I I is facilitated- Ifthe forward end of a seat I! is sufficiently raised, the forked end portions 43' I claim:

i. A reclining chair comprising a support, four rollers carried by said support in a substantially horizontal plane and rotatable on parallel transverse axes, a seat member having rails on its bot- 5 tom adapted to travel on the respective rollers, the rearward rails being substantially in the plane of the seat bottom, the forward rails being inclined rearwardly and downwardly, a chair back rockable about a fixed axis on said support, means 10 for adjusting the inclination ofysaid chair back, and disengageable means yieldahly connecting said seat and back at a level lower than said axis whereby said seat is thrust forwardly and rearwardly by rocking movement of said back, 15 said seat being tlltable for disengagement from said back. i I

2. A reclining chair comprising a seat support,

a seat slidable thereon means for raising the forward portion of the seat when it moves for- 20 ward, and a. seat back pivoted on said support to rock on a horizontal axis, said back having a pin and fork connection at' its lower end with the rear end of said seat.

3. A car seat comprising a pedestal, a seat sub- 25 port mounted on said pedestal and including a substantially horizontal platform with a central hollow, a pair of rollers mounted on stationary axes in said hollow, a seat movable on said rollers, said seat having on'its bottom a pair of down- 30 wardly and rearwardlyinclined elements extending into said hollow and riding on said rollers, operating means actuable to shift said seat forwardly and rearwardly, and freely disengageable means connecting said seat with-saidoperatlng means. i

GEORGE E. 

